This invention relates to a striking device for boxing and martial arts practice, and, more particularly, relates to a spring mounted striking device having directional and controlled resistance to striking forces applied to the device.
Striking or punching bags that are resiliently mounted are well known, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,009,040 issued to Beach. The Beach reference is illustrative of an omnidirectional bag that can be punched from any direction and will oscillate in a plane of the direction in which the striking force is delivered. It promotes speed of delivery and timing, but not power. Large heavy punching bags, which are usually mounted by a single harness from an overhead support, largely represent the state of the art in providing power striking practice. Typically, such a bag is held in place by a partner to prevent swinging of the bag from repeated deliveries.
An example of a martial arts striking device is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,630 issued to Dignard et al. Dignard teaches the use of a planar shaped striking object mounted over a retaining device that is secured to a bracket. The bracket is spaced apart from a second bracket by a pair of springs with the second bracket pivotally mounted to a wall rack secured to a vertical wall. The striking object can be angularly oriented with respect to the wall brace. When a "strike" is delivered as, for example, when the striking object is kicked, the device pivots, oscillates about the springs, and eventually returns to it initial position. The martial arts kicking device of the '630 patent is designed for practicing accurate kicking as opposed to "power strikes" and clearly requires considerable pivoting of the springs and subsequent oscillation thereof in an effort to promote accuracy. A "power strike" is defined for purpose of this invention as a punch or blow delivered for maximum impact against a target device.
The above devices do not focus upon the strengthening of the individual to deliver power strikes in actual combat and do not approximate an actual person to whom the power strike is to be delivered. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide for a marital arts striking device that promotes power strikes as would be desired to be delivered in actual combat, does not require the presence of another party to hold the device steady for repeated deliveries, and rewards the accuracy of the power strike.
These and other objects will become readily apparent upon a reading of the description herein with the appended drawings.